Home

Services

Math and Instruction

About

absolute value

  • Solving Absolute Value Equations Scaffolded

    Solving Absolute Value Equations Scaffolded

    Absolute value is a challenging for many students. Absolute value equations add an extra layer of challenge. This post presents a scaffolded handout. It starts with an initiation addressing absolute value and then is followed by scaffolded steps for solving that address written and mental steps. The Scaffolding The scaffolding walks students through mental steps…

  • Introduction to Absolute Value – Distance from Home

    Introduction to Absolute Value – Distance from Home

    Here is a Jamboard to introduce the concept of absolute value (make a copy and you can edit – see photo at bottom of this post). Start with prior knowledge of how many houses a child is from home. Emphasize that the number of houses is positive. Change the setting from a row of houses…

  • Absolute Value is Absolutely not the Opposite

    Absolute Value is Absolutely not the Opposite

    I have frequently encountered the presentation of absolute value as a positive value or opposite. This is part of the repertoire of memory devices we (certainly I have in the past) use as a short cut to learning how to do the steps for a problem. The meaning of the absolute value of a number…